


The Ad

by FanWriter



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-03
Updated: 2014-10-03
Packaged: 2018-02-19 18:09:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2397914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanWriter/pseuds/FanWriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry gives Remus a push in the right direction.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Ad

''I mean, how can they not know?'' Harry continued on about how Ron and Hermione were oblivious to what was between them. ''It's right there,'' he said, puncuating his words with hand gestures.

''Sometimes it's hard to see what's in front of you because you're standing to close to it,'' Remus supplied. He'd come to enjoy his and Harry's weekly tea, where he could get to know the boy he considered a nephew. He had to admit though, Harry's friends sounded a lot like Lily and her 'unrequited' love for James.

''There not standing to close to it Professor - they're right on top of it. How can they not see what they're right on top of?''

''Some people are far-sighted,'' he deadpanned.

''Very funny,'' Harry said, running a hand through his hair. ''I'm tempted to make a love potion.''

''Being a teacher, I'll pretend I didn't hear that,'' he said, lifting the cup to his lips. ''What about your love life,'' he said before taking a sip.

''You mean lack-there-of?''

''Come now. There must be someone you fancy.''

After a moments pause, Harry sighed. ''Yeah, but you can't tell anyone,'' he quickly added.

''Never. Who is it?''

''I can't tell you.''

Remus nodded his head. ''So I'm not allowed to tell anyone about your relationship with an unknown girl?''

''Crush,'' Harry corrected.

''My pardons, crush. Am I at least allowed to know, why I'm not allowed to know?''

''Well, in my first year, I had a run-in with Voldemort. In my second year, I had a run-in with Voldemort -''

''You don't want Voldemort to use her to get to you,'' Remus finished.

''Exactly. I'm not completely naive. I know there can only be one victor between Voldemort and I, and he keeps finding a way to come back. I just want to keep the people I love safe.''

''Love? I thought you said it was a crush?'' Remus raised his eyebrows. He smirked when Harry sent him a pointed look, and continued. ''So by denying your feelings, your keeping her safe.''

''Yes.''

''While hurting yourself in the process.''

''I don't think of it that way.''

''Naturally.''

''There may be other reasons.''

''Such as?''

Harry paused a moment, before deciding he could trust this man. ''Like her six brothers coming after me.''

Remus blinked, playing that back over in his mind. Leaning forward, he clarified, ''You're crush is Ginny Weasley.''

Harry smiled. ''What about you then? How many girlfriends have you had, Professor?'' waggiling his eyebrows.

Sitting back in his chair, Remus blushed slightly. ''None.''

''None? None? Really, none? Why?''

''Just a few insecurites I have.''

They sat in silence for a minuets. Harry knew about Professor Lupin's lycanthropy - Hagrid having had said 'I shouldn't have told you that' right after letting it slip to him. On some level, Harry understood what his professor was going through, and decided that, if he wasn't going to say anthing thing, then neither would he; not even to Ron and Hermione. It wasn't fair, though. Harry could tell the new defense teacher was a good man. One of the best he'd seen in both muggle and wizarding worlds. He deserved to be happy, and to have someone to share that happiness with. However, the question was: who wouldn't be afraid of a werewolf? A light suddenly went off in Harry's eyes and he looked up, grinning. ''I know what we'll do. We'll put an ad in the paper for you a date.''

Remus suddenly felt uneasy. ''Harry -'' he bagan warily.

''Yes. I can see it now,'' Harry said, and he swept his hand in the air while saying, ''Wanted: Eligible bachelor seeking single female. Must, Love, Chocolate.''

''Harry -''

''I'm the new DADA teacher, so perferably someone who doesn't mind danger.''

''Harry -''

''I love to read -''

''Harry -'' Remus said a little more forcefully.

''Oh, come on, Professor. I can see this shaping up quite nicely.

''Harry, let me be very clear. You are not to put any such ad in the paper, do you understand?

Harry's mind worked quickly. ''Fine,'' he sighed, grinning to himself.

HP-HP-HP-HP-HP

Remus clutched his outer robe closer to his body as he trudged through the snow in Hogsmeade. I can't believe I'm doing this, he thought to himself. Harry had already arranged for the woman to meet him at the Three Broomsticks, and he thought it rude to cancel. His mind briefly drifted to when Harry told him about the date.

_''You what?'' Remus jumped up from his chair, hoping he'd misheard his student._

_Harry sighed and nodded his head. ''Ad. Answered. Woman. Three Broomsticks. Noon,'' he explained slowly._

_Remus sat back down heavily. ''I specifically told you not to post an ad.''_

_''Yes, you did. You just forgot to mention_ when _that little rule was to be instated. Honestly, Professor, you've been teaching for about half a year now; one would think you'd have a better grasp on enforcing rules by now.''_

_''I didn't think I had to,'' he looke up from where his hands had been massaging his temples._

_''Well, that's what you get for thinking.''_

That was half an hour ago. Remus opened the door and went inside, rubbing and blowing his hands to get them warmed back up; in his anxiousness, he'd forgotten the warming charm. Harry described the woman he would be meeting with as 'wearing a pink traveling cloak', and as he looked around the room, he narrowed his date to be amid the two-thirds of the women in the pub. He mentally slapped himself as he realized it was Valentine's day. Off in the corner of the room, however, stood a short, young woman with long, soft, pale pink hair, waving at him. He smiled back and made his way over to her awkwardly. When he got close enough to her, he introduced himself. ''I'm, uh, Remus. Lupin,'' he added after a moment, mesmerised by her bright, pink eyes. Metamorphmagus, he realized.

''I figured as much.'' She wrinkled her nose as she smile. ''You have this look about you that just says professor,'' she said sitting down.

''Uh, thank you.''

She looked up at him, nodding. ''You wanna sit?''

''Sure, um, ergh, yes.'' He sat down, knees hitting the underside of the table.

Hearing the bump, the woman looked under the table. ''Tall one, aren't you?'' She pulled out her wand and added some more height to the table.

''Thank you, but it's now unsuited for you,'' he said, seeing the table come up to her chest.

She waved her hand. ''Like this, I'll have less of a chance of food missing my mouth. I should warn you, I'm a hazard to everyone in this room - I'm a major klutz.'' Her voice trailed off as the waitress cam to take their order. ''Shepherd's pie, please.''

''I'll have the same,'' Remus nodded his head. The woman left and he turned back to his 'date'. ''I'm sorry about this, I -''

''Yeah, your student - Harry, I think it was - explained it to me you weren't exactly a willing participant. I thought I'd answer the ad because, A: it would get my mother off my back about finding a man and giving her grandchildren because I'm not getting any younger apparently. B: I'm an Auror, so I think it's my duty to make sure the ad wasn't posted by a nutter. C: any man who loves chocolate as much as I do, is worth meeting. Besides, I think it's sweet; a student going through this for his teacher. I'm glad I did, though, the ad I mean - you're kinda cute.''

Remus blushed and ducked his head. ''What exactly did the ad say?''

The woman raised her pink eyebrows. ''You didn't read it?''

''I wasn't aware the ad had been placed until,'' he looked at his watch, ''three-quarters of an hour ago.''

The woman burst out laughing, banging her elbows on the table as she clutched her stomach. ''So this was more of a prank then?''

''Considering his heritage, I'd say that's exactly what it was,'' he said, holding out his hand and gently taking the cut-out ad that she'd dugged out of her pocket. Remus read to himself, and groaned with each sentence.

''I got stopped by Madam Puddifoot on my way in. I told her I was to meet you here, but she fully expects our second date to be in her tea shop. Said she'd framed the ad,'' the woman said, bitting her lip.

Remus looked up. ''You're enjoying this, aren't you?''

The woman giggled into her butterbeer and accidently snorted some of the liquid up her nose. ''Arggh,'' she reached for a napkin and knocked over the salt and pepper shakers in the process. ''See what I mean about being a klutz?''

''I know the feeling, Ms. ...?''

''Oh, sorry, forgot. I'm Tonks,'' she said, sticking out her hand.

Remus took her hand in his own and marveled at the sensation he felt through the contact. He cleared his throat. ''Just Tonks, no first name?''

''There is a first name, Nymphadora,'' she cringed, ''but I prefer Tonks.

''Alright, Tonks. Though I must say, I do like your first name,'' he said, rolling her name over his tongue.

''I don't know what my mother was thinking at the time,'' she muttered.

''Beauty such as your own, she probably wasn't able to think much.'' He slammed his eyes shut, feeling his face heat up; he hadn't meant to say that aloud. Opening his eyes, he looked about and tried to change the topic. ''Would you like a roll?'' he asked, noticing for the first time the bread basket. In his hasty reach, he knocked over his butterbeer onto the table cloth. ''Erm, sorry,'' he said, pulling out his wand and cleaning up the mess.

Tonks perked up with interest. ''How'd you do that?''

Remus stopped in his movements. ''Do what?''

''That. Get rid of the stain. I'm useless at cleaning spells,'' she admitted.

Remus went into professor mode, and felt himself regaining his confidence as he explained in detail, Tonks listening with great attention. All in all, it wasn't a bad date, Remus thought on his walk back to the castle. Even if he was hesistant to call it an actual date, he'd felt confident that he'd gained a new friend.


End file.
